Spoke-lathe.



LA FAYETTE G. ROBINSON &J J. MEYERS.

SPOKE LATHE. AIPLIOATION FILED JULY 22, 1908.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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LA FAYETTE G. ROBINSON &' J. J. MEYERS.

SPOKE LATHE.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 22, 1908.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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LA FAYETTE G. ROBINSON &.J. J. MEYERS.

SPOKE LATHE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1908.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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UNITE s AThfi PATENT OFFICE.

LA FAYETTE G. ROBINSON, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, AND JOHN J. MEYERS, OFCINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO J. A. FAY & EGAN COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI,OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WE ST VIRGINIA.

SPOKE-LATHE Specification 01" Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LA FAYETTE G. RoB- INSON and Jonn J Mnrnns,citizens of the United States, and residing, respectively, at 1 Newport,in the county of Campbell and i Stateof Kentucky, and at Cincinnati, inthe county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have jointly invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Spoke-Lathes, of which the l following isa specification.

Our invention relates to spoke lathes, and has for its object theproviding of new and improved means for governing the travel of thecarriage and further for controlling the'rotation of the centers, in amachine of the character mentioned, and the invention will be readilyunderstood from the following description and claims, and from thedrawings, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved device. Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, partly brokenaway with the upper works removed. Fig. 1 is an end elevation showingthe manner of mounting the belttightener pulleys for controlling theoperation of the feed-screw. Fig. 5 is an irreg ular section of the sameon the line 2 2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail in section on the line yof Fig. 4 showing the adjustment of one of the belt-tightener pulleysfor controlling the operation of the feed-screw. Fig. 7 is a detail insection on the line a of Fig. 2, showing the manner of mounting therotating member for driving the feed-screw; and, Fig. 8 is a sideelevation of a spoke.

1 represents the frame or shears having guideways 2 on which thecarriage 3 is moved back and forth by a ieed-screw i tl'ireaded in athreaded bearing 5 of the carriage and journaled in bearings 6 of theshears. A cutterhead 7 is mounted on the carriage and travels with thesame and operates on the spokestock being turned, this spoke-stool:being held between centers 9 10 journaled on a vibrator-frame 11 whichis pivoted at its lower end to the shears in usual manner. Thevibrator-frame also carries centers 13 1 1 between which a pattern isplaced. Gears 16 17 are on the centers 9 13 and are meshed by anintermediate gear 18 for turning said centers at equal speeds, gear 18being on a shaft 19 j ournaled in the vibrator-frame and carrying apulley 20.

The stock is out according to the shape of the pattern. The barrel a ofthe spoke, shown at b, (Fig. 8), is of con'iparatively smallcross-section, while the head 0 of the spoke adjacent the hub-portion isof greater diameter, the diameter increasing abruptly at the throat (Zof the spoke. While the barrel of the spoke is being out we employ thefast forward speed of feed. We decrease the speed of forward feed whenthe throat of the spoke is reached, because oi" the greater diameterwhich must then be cut and because the head is to be cut oi polygonalcross-section. The cutter-head is fed lengthwise of the spoke-stock andthe leed is obtained by means of a feed-screw which is turned in thedirection oi -forward feed at two different speeds by means of two beltspassing over pulleys of diflerent diameters, in manner to be presentlydescribed, and is also led in reverse direction for returning thecutter-head carriage to initial position, during which return the beltsfor eil'ecting the forward speeds are placed out of commission. Thebolts for ei'l'ecting these forward speeds, it will be noted, are short.They are normally loose about their pulleys. The duty to be performed bythem is heavy, and at the same time we initiate and control their dutypositively and to delicate extent for cl'liciency in the quality andquantity of the product. It will be noted that the turning of thecenters is controlled in unison with the control of the feed-screw.These means will now be described.

26 is the main drive-shaft operated by a pulley 27 and carrying a pairof pulleys 28 29, shown as stepped pulleys. It may also carry a pulley30 slidable therealong in usual manner for operating a pulley 31 on thecutter-head shaft 32 journaled on the carriage. 35 36 is a pair ofpulleys also shown as stepped pulleys. A belt 37 passes about thepulleys 28 35 and a belt 38 passes about the pulleys 29 36. These beltsare normall loose about their pulleys. A belt 39 passes about a pulley-10 and a whey ll for driving the feed-screw, preierab y through aclutch 42. A belt 43 passes about a pulley 1-1- and the pulley 20 forrotating the centers. The

pulleys 40 44 preferably rotate with the pair of pulleys 36, the pulleys35 36 40 and 44 being preferably secured together, as to a sleeve 45which rotates about the stud 46 secured to the frame.

51 52 are belt-tightener levers, shown as levers of the first degree,pivoted on bolts 53 54 secured to brackets 55 56 secured to the frame. Alink 57 is articulated with these levers at 58 59, connecting the leversfor combined movement.

61 62 are belt-tightener pulleys adjustably secured at the other ends ofsaid levers. Thus each lever is provided with a slot 63 in which a stud64 is adjustably secured, the stud having a reduced shank 65 passingthrough the slot, a nut 66 screwing over the threaded end 67 of saidreduced shank for forcing the shoulder 68 against the lever, the studforming a journal for the tightenerpulley. This construction permits thetightener-pulleys to be adjusted toward and from the drive-belts fornormally permitting them to be free from driving tension and forimparting the proper driving tension to either of said drive-belts fordriving said feedscrew or centers at either given speed in the samedirection.

71 is a lever pivoted at 72 to the frame and articulated with the link'57 at 73. A spring 74 connects with the outer end of the lever 71 at 75and has an adjustable connection 76 with the frame. When the lever 71 isreleased, as hereinafter stated, the spring will aid in causingengagement of the tightenerpulley 61 with the belt 37. An upright 77 isarticulated with the lever 71 at 78 and slides in a slotted bearing 79.at has a catch 80 which is engaged by a pin 81 on an arm 82 secured to arock-shaft 83 which also has an arm 84 thereon which carries a weight85. A catch 86 is pivoted on the arm 84 and catches on the frame. Whenthe barrel of the spoke is being turned, the fast feed of the feed-screwis employed, the tightenerulley 62 being in engagement with the bet 38.The carriage carries a bar 90 which has a tapered contact-face 91arranged to strike the upright 77 for releasing the catch 80 when thecutterhead is at the throat of the spokestock for causing contact of thetightenerpulley 61 with the belt 37, thereby initiating the slow speedof the carriage and centers.

hen the carriage has traveled sufficiently far for the cutter-head tocomplete the cutting of the spoke, the face 92 of the carriage willstrike the bolt 93 in the arm 94 for moving the slide 95 which has atrip 96 thereon for releasing the catch 86 and thereby shifting thetightener-pulleys into neutral position in the following manner.

An arm 101 is on the rock-shaft 83 and has a tapering face 102 thereonwhich engages an arm 103 on a rock-shaft 104 journaled in bearings 105in the frame. A lever 106 is pivoted to the frame at 107 and isarticulated at one end with the arm 103 at 108. At its other end thislever has a fork 109 received by an annular groove 110 of the clutch 42.An arm 111 is also carried by the rock-shaft 104 and has a bolt 112therein which contacts the lever 71 in rear of its pivot for depressingits rear end, this depressing action taking place when said catch 86 istripped. The tightener-pulleys are thereby swung into neutral positionsfor releasing the belts 37 38 from driving action. The neutral positionsof the tightener-pulleys is maintained while the carriage is retracted,which retraction is accomplished by means of a belt passing over apulley 113 on the lead-screw operated in suitable manner, the carriageat the end of its return movement striking the bolt 114 on the slide 95for returning said slide 95 to initial position. he rock-sh aft 83 isthen rocked, which causes the raising of the lever '71 by engagement ofthe pin 81 with the catch 80 and the engagement of the catch 86 with theframe for again causing engagement of the belt-tightener pulley 62 withthe belt 38 and thereby initiating the fast forward feed of thecutter-head carriage. The rock shaft 83 may be rocked by the handle 115or said rock-shaft may be rocked by power mechanism, indicated generallyby the numeral 116, and which may be of the character of that shown anddescribed in Letters Patent No. 389,157, granted Eeter Lesh, September4, 1888, for automatic setting mechanism for spoke lathes. The arm 94may also carry a bolt 117 adapted to strike a lug 118 on a safety-lever119 on the rock shaft 104.

laving thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a spoke-lathe, means for driving the carriage feed-screw atdifferent speeds in a given direction, comprising in combination aplurality of cooperating stepped pulleys re spcctively adapted forreceiving belts normally loose thereabout, tightener-pulleys adjustabletoward and from said belts and connected for combined movement, andmeans for automatically moving said tightener-pulleys for alternatelytightening said respective belts.

2. In a spoke-lathe, the combination with a carriage and feed-screwtherefor, of a plurality of cooperating stepped pulleys one of which hasdriving connection with said feedscrew for rotating the same in a givendirection at different speeds, belts normal loose thereabout,tightener-pulleys connected for combined movement, means for adjustingsaid tightenenpulleys toward and from said belts, and means forautomatically shifting said tightener-pulleys by said carriage.

3. in a spoke-lathe, the combination with a carriage and feed-screwtherefor, of a plurality of cooperating stepped pulleys one of which hasdriving connection with said feedscrew for rotating the same in a givendirection at different speeds, belts normally loose thereabout,tightener-pulleys connected for combined movement, means for adjustingsaid tightener-pulleys toward and from said belts, and means forautomatically shifting said tightener-pulleys by said carriage forreleasing'the one from belt-tightening position and bringing the otherinto belt-tightening position, and means operated by said carriage forshifting both said tightener-pulleys into neutral positions.

4; In a spoke-lathe, the combination of a bed, a cutter-head carriagetraveling thereon, a feed-screw for causing the travel of said carriage,a rotatable member, driving means between said rotatable member andfeedscrew, a plurality of pulleys for operating said rotatable member atdifferent speeds in a given direction, a plurality of driving pulleysthe respective pulleys thereof mate the respective pulleys of saidfirst-named plurality of pulleys, driving belts normally loose aboutsaid respective mating pulleys of said plurali ties of pulleys,tightener-pulleys for said respective belts, means for adjusting saidrespective tightener-pulleys toward and from said respective belts, andmeans for automatically shifting said tightener-pulleys si1nultaneouslyby said cutter-head carriage, for effecting the rotation of saidfeed-screw, substantially as described.

5. In a spoke-lathe, the combination of a bed, a cutter-head carriagetraveling thereon, a feed-screw for causing the travel of said carriage,centers for the spoke-pattern and,

spoke-stock, means for causing said centers to rotate in unison, arotatable member, driving means between said rotatable member and saidlast-named means and between said rotatable member and said feed-screw,a plurality of pulleys for operating said rotatable member at difierentspeeds in a given direction, a plurality of driving pulleys therespective pulleys whereof mate the respective pulleys of saidfirst-named plurality of pulleys, driving-belts normally loose aboutsaid respective mating pulleys. of said pluralities of pulleys,tightener-pulleys for said respective belts, means for mounting andadjusting said respective tightener-pulleys toward and from saidrespective belts, and means for automatically shifting saidtightener-pulleys simultaneously by said cutter-head carriage foreffecting the rotation of said feed-screw and centers, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a spoke-lathe, the combination of a bed, a cutter-head carriagetraveling thereon, a feed-screw for causing the travel of said carriage,a plurality of cooperating stepped pulleys one of which has drivingconnection with said feed-screw for rotating the same at differentspeeds in a given direction, belts received thereabout, a pair of leversoi the first degree connected for combined movement at one of theirends, tightener-pulleys for said belts at the other ends of said levers,means for adjusting said tightener-pulleys on said last-named endstoward and from each other, and means for automatically shifting saidlevers by said carriage for automatically changing the speed of saidfeed-screw in a given direction.

7 In a spoke-lathe, the combination with the carriage, feed-screwtherefor, and pattern and stock centers, of a plurality of cooperatingstepped pulleys one of which has driving connection with said feed-screwand centers for rotating the same at difi'erent speeds in the samedirection, belts received about said plurality of cooperating steppedpulleys, a pair of levers of the first degree connected for combinedmovement at one of their ends, tightener-pulleys for said belts at theother ends of said levers, means for adjusting said tightener-pulleys onsaid last-named ends to ward and from each other, and means forautomatically shifting said levers by said carriages for automaticallychanging the speed of said feed-screw and centers in a given direction,substantially as described.

8. In a spokedathe, the combination with the carriage and feed-screwtherefor, of a plurality of cooperating stepped pulleys one of which hasdriving connection with said feed screw for rotating the same atdifi'erent speeds in the same direction, belts received about saidplurality of cooperating stepped pulleys, a pair of levers of the firstdegree connected for combined movement at one of their ends,tightener-pulleys for said belts at the ends of said levers, means foradjusting said tightener-pulleys on saidlast-name d ends toward and fromeach other, means for auto- 1n atically shifting said levers by saidcarriage for causing release of one of said belts by one of saidtightenerpulleys and tightening of the other of said belts by the otherof said tightener-pulleys, and means for automatically shifting bothsaid tightener-pulleys into neutral positions, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a spoke-lathe, the combination with the carriage and feed-screw,of driving means for said feed-screw, a clutch between said drivingmeans and feed-screw, a plurality of cooperating stepped pulleys one ofwhich. has driving connection with said driving means for rotating saidfeed-screw at difl'erent speeds in the same direction, belts receivedabout said plurality of cooperating stepped pulleys, a pair of levers ofthe first degree connected for combined movement at one of their ends,tightener-pulleys for said belts at the other ends of said levers, meansfor adjusting said tightener-pulleys toward and from each other, meansfor automatically shifting said levers by said carriage for causingrelease of one of said belts and the tightening of the other of saidbelts by said i our names hereto in the presence of twosubtightener-pulleys, and means for automaticlscribing Witnesses.

ally shifting said levers by said carriage for LA FAYETTE G. ROBINSON.bringing said tightener-pulleys into neutral JOHN J. MEYERS. V 5positions and releasing said clutch, substan- Witnesses:

tially as described. s HARPER. G. Ross,

In testimony whereof, We have subscribed I RICHARD DVCOAN.

